


his voice is a familiar sound, nothing lasts forever

by mapshirtlou



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: ???? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, I think that's it - Freeform, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 20:13:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4113472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mapshirtlou/pseuds/mapshirtlou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And Burnie fucking Burns, Joel's wing man until the day he dies, calls out after Adam and invites him back to their makeshift home like it's a casual Tuesday afternoon and they're not standing mere inches away from re-dead zombies in the heart of an apocalypse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	his voice is a familiar sound, nothing lasts forever

**Author's Note:**

> me: writes a joellis fic at 2 am for literally no reason. im too much. dedicated to my tiny joellis child.

Joel reckons the moon is on his side.

Because it's his patrol night, alone, and the moon is full and high in the sky, shining _brightbrightbright_ down on him, bathing his face and the yard in pale light. He sits in one of the four towers, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders as he watches the yard for any movement. A waiting game, really.

And isn't that it? Ever since the outbreak, their entire fucking lives have been a waiting game. Waiting for somebody you know to turn. Waiting for somebody you love to turn. Waiting to turn yourself.

Because here are the facts: there's a zombie apocalypse, it's spreading fast, food supplies are low, and zombies outnumber the humans. And before this outbreak, Joel's life revolved around numbers and facts. Charts, statistics, cold hard facts because they were  _true_ because they couldn't be changed because they were a reliable outcome. It was safe and predictable and that's how Joel liked to live--knowing the outcome of everything. Being in control.

But that's not the life he can live anymore.

 He has no control over anything. Nothing is predictable besides his death, ultimately, and Joel is living with it but also isn't. Because change isn't really Joel's thing. He likes patterns and predictability and control.

Joel's always been a reckless person. A personality trait he never really understood because recklessness isn't safe, it isn't predictable, yet Joel loved it. He loved the thrill of it all; risking his life  _just so_ just to come back unscathed with an Adrenalin rush.

But Joel can't afford to live like that anymore, because he has an (almost) family to look out for, people to protect.

And Adam.

Falling in love during a zombie apocalypse. A cliche, and a dumb one at that, and Joel. Man, did he hate cliches. Yet, just a year into the mess, he met Adam Ellis, a cliche in himself. A big, burly, breaded fucking butterfly. And really, Joel was in love.

He met him during a food trip with Burnie. They had risked traveling into the city to look for food because their group needed it and needed it badly, so they entered a supermarket and searched for food.

Joel had put his weapon away to grab the food faster ( _or so he claims--Burnie wondered if it was Joel's passive attempt at taking a risk, saying 'hey zombies i'm unarmed, come eat my fucking brains--)_ and was ambushed by a small group of zombies. And Joel froze for a brief moment but collected himself quickly, reaching back for his weapon and fumbling, dropping it and _fuck this is it this is the end--_

But Adam jumped in, killed them quickly and Joel somehow managed to maintain his pride throughout. He recovered quickly and spun on Adam, scowling.

"I was fine, thank you," he hissed and Adam laughed but nodded, picking Joel's weapon off of the ground and handing it to him.

"I could tell. I just didn't want you throwing your back out, old man. Not a lot of doctors around anymore," Adam retorted. "I'm Adam, by the way. Just in case you wanted to put a name to your gorgeous savior."

And despite himself, Joel smiled.

Burnie ventured over, a bag full of food, hissing at Joel to hurry up when he saw Adam and went on the defensive. Adam simply stepped away and Joel's heart plummeted and he wanted to reach out for him and stop him for some reason he couldn't fathom.

And Burnie fucking Burns, Joel's wing man until the day he dies, calls out after Adam and invites him back to their makeshift home like it's a casual Tuesday afternoon and they're not standing mere inches away from re-dead zombies in the heart of an apocalypse.

And Adam agrees and Joel pretends not to care but he does, really and truly, and Adam comes to help them reinforce their house and simply never leaves. And Joel doesn't know how it happened but one day they're just more than strangers and the next Joel loves him  _(and Burnie thinks Adam is one of Joel's risks because really, falling in love at a time like this? There's no bigger risk)_ and he realizes that this could be forever--or whatever their forever can be in a situation like theirs.

So Adam stays and Joel is watching guard by himself and definitely reckons the moon is on his side because his range of sight is much larger than it would have been with his flashlight as a light source. So he can slack off a little, absently flickering the light into the woods surrounding their 'home', half asleep until he hears it.

A snap of one tree branch, then two, then four and Joel smiles because here they come. He drops his blanket and picks up the discarded gun he brought with him and makes hi way to the ladder. The watch tower is a good ten feet from their home and the woods another fifteen so Joel knows he's safe for the time being. The zombies move slowly and stiffly so Joel has a little bit of time.

He knows this risk is good, calculated for the ones he loves. For him, well. He didn't check if the revolver had ammo before he left and his heart thrummed in his chest as he walks towards the woods.

A small handful of zombies walk out and Joel grins, cocking his gun and aiming at the closest one, pulling the trigger and sucking in a deep breath.

The gun is empty and Joel laughs.

He tosses it at his feet and considers his other options because he doesn't want to die right now, not really, because Adam has the first morning watch and that would mean Adam would mist likely find him if he doesn't turn right away and that's not a risk Joel is willing to take, and not one he considered until it's too late.

There's a discarded bat a few feet to his left and he thinks he can get it before he's attacked but isn't sure. He's backing up slowly as the zombies advance and he's getting farther from the bat and his heart speeds up because  _god, adam adam adam._

And four quick shots go off from behind Joel and the zombies fall and  _Adam_.

Joel spins around and sure enough, Adam is there, still bleary eyed and wrapped in a blanket and Joel sighs.

"I didn't save your life just so you could go and get yourself killed," Adam calls, and it's full of hurt and anger but also understanding.

Joel walks closer to him carefully and nods and Adam lays on the ground, staring up at the sky and Joel lays next to him.

"You can't die, Joel, I won't let you," Adam says after a few moments pause.

"It'll happen eventually," Joel counters and wraps his hand in Adam's.

"I know," Adam agrees. 'But not yet. It's not your time."

They're quiet for a few moments before Adam laughs quietly and under his breath.

"You know, I wake up in the middle of the night because the moon is so damn bright and I'm thirsty as hell, and what do I find? My boyfriend, trying to get himself killed. The stress of dating you is going to kill me before these damn zombies get the chance to."

And Joel laughs and squeezes Adam's hand, a silent  _thank you,_ and decides the moon really is on his side.


End file.
